tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38415438125743257872024-03-13T15:13:46.677+00:00Matthew's Blog at Workshop HeavenMusings, mutterings and meanderings on all things hand tool woodworking related.Workshop Heavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783322295821347851noreply@blogger.comBlogger149125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841543812574325787.post-73525411513863166812017-12-07T13:24:00.000+00:002017-12-07T13:30:09.696+00:00New Quangsheng Plane Handles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vrJtwXlInR0/Wik-tHA3-cI/AAAAAAAABq8/jZwLknHYja8Ogdgg5hGsPkuMQOxSy_uVACLcBGAs/s1600/Qiangsheng-Planes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vrJtwXlInR0/Wik-tHA3-cI/AAAAAAAABq8/jZwLknHYja8Ogdgg5hGsPkuMQOxSy_uVACLcBGAs/s320/Qiangsheng-Planes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 13.3333px;">The first of the new American cherry handled <a href="https://www.workshopheaven.com/hand-tools/hand-planes/quangsheng-planes.html" target="_blank">Quangsheng planes</a> have arrived. So far we have No.5’s and bronze spokeshaves in cherry wood, but it will shortly be introduced across the full range, replacing the bubinga handles completely. </span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8wwqedDl9F4/Wik-6QBOC4I/AAAAAAAABrA/-6TPwBXFi4cpAwff58lU7hRtmMFEqCTtQCLcBGAs/s1600/Quangsheng-Spokeshave-Marking-Gauge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8wwqedDl9F4/Wik-6QBOC4I/AAAAAAAABrA/-6TPwBXFi4cpAwff58lU7hRtmMFEqCTtQCLcBGAs/s320/Quangsheng-Spokeshave-Marking-Gauge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 13.3333px;">The <a href="https://www.workshopheaven.com/quangsheng-marking-gauge.html" target="_blank">marking gauges</a> are in walnut at the moment, whether this will eventually change to cherry too I’m not sure, but different timbers might be a nice way to tell them apart if you are using more than one on a project.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1tioHtUgxEI/Wik_LT42wcI/AAAAAAAABrE/a3v6-_aS7GY5_ImburDFRb2vw6h1XQeIACLcBGAs/s1600/Qiangsheng-Quangsheng-Woodriver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1tioHtUgxEI/Wik_LT42wcI/AAAAAAAABrE/a3v6-_aS7GY5_ImburDFRb2vw6h1XQeIACLcBGAs/s320/Qiangsheng-Quangsheng-Woodriver.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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In any case, if you’d prefer one of the bubinga handled planes, now’s the time!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/">www.workshopheaven.com</a><br /></span></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841543812574325787.post-49487212172522812192016-12-22T11:29:00.001+00:002016-12-22T11:29:27.066+00:00David Charlesworth's Ruler Trick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/blog/Ruler_Trick/" target="_blank"><img alt="David Charlesworth's Ruler Trick" border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5sgZl5FxXpM/WFu4ikD51qI/AAAAAAAABpU/dxHZSV7jLY43u5mP45JtUQXLNReSlK4tACLcB/s1600/David_Charlesworth.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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New video with David Charlesworth demonstrating his ruler trick added on the new workshopheaven blog:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/blog/Ruler_Trick/">http://www.workshopheaven.com/blog/Ruler_Trick/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841543812574325787.post-47601277065688570862016-12-02T12:47:00.003+00:002016-12-02T12:47:55.877+00:00Quangsheng Router Plane<div style="color: #2f2f2f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
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<img alt="Quangsheng Router Plane" data-mce-src="https://www.workshopheaven.com/index.php/16syz11ygy16/cms_wysiwyg/directive/___directive/e3ttZWRpYSB1cmw9Ind5c2l3eWcvYmxvZy9RdWFuZ3NoZW5nLUx1YmFuLVJvdXRlci5qcGcifX0,/key/c36c5f7e848c05c262e788866366c54a/" data-mce-style="vertical-align: middle; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://www.workshopheaven.com/index.php/16syz11ygy16/cms_wysiwyg/directive/___directive/e3ttZWRpYSB1cmw9Ind5c2l3eWcvYmxvZy9RdWFuZ3NoZW5nLUx1YmFuLVJvdXRlci5qcGcifX0,/key/c36c5f7e848c05c262e788866366c54a/" style="border: 0px; cursor: default; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; vertical-align: middle;" title="Quangsheng Router Plane" /></div>
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I had a slightly spooky experience earlier this year when I found myself reading my own words almost verbatim from someone else’s hand. I don’t know who sent Paul Sellers one of the prototype router planes to review, but he raised all of the issues I had asked the factory to rectify before we went ahead with the product.<br /><br />On reflection it’s actually quite reassuring, Paul is hugely experienced and knows exactly what he’s looking for in a hand tool, so it is good that we concurred on the things that needed addressing. I’m just not used to that part of the process happening in public, but hey why not!</div>
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If you didn’t catch Paul’s review it’s here: <a data-mce-href="https://paulsellers.com/2016/07/router-cant-shave/" href="https://paulsellers.com/2016/07/router-cant-shave/">A Router Too Young To Shave!!!</a></div>
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<br />Anyhow, here’s where we are up to now:</div>
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<span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Second Prototype</strong></span></div>
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The problem with the locking screw obscuring the cutter has been resolved with a larger, flatter screw with an undercut head that affords the user a proper view of the cutting edge.</div>
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Because the depth of cut is altered frequently in use, it needs to be possible to tighten and loosen the screw with fingers rather than a screwdriver – the bigger diameter head makes this possible.</div>
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<img alt="Top View" data-mce-src="https://www.workshopheaven.com/index.php/16syz11ygy16/cms_wysiwyg/directive/___directive/e3ttZWRpYSB1cmw9Ind5c2l3eWcvYmxvZy9Sb3V0ZXItUGxhbmUtVG9wLVZpZXcuanBnIn19/key/c36c5f7e848c05c262e788866366c54a/" data-mce-style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://www.workshopheaven.com/index.php/16syz11ygy16/cms_wysiwyg/directive/___directive/e3ttZWRpYSB1cmw9Ind5c2l3eWcvYmxvZy9Sb3V0ZXItUGxhbmUtVG9wLVZpZXcuanBnIn19/key/c36c5f7e848c05c262e788866366c54a/" style="border: 0px; cursor: default; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; vertical-align: middle;" title="Top View" /></div>
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The users view on the first prototype (shown below) wasn't so good:</div>
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<img alt="Old Version" data-mce-src="https://www.workshopheaven.com/index.php/16syz11ygy16/cms_wysiwyg/directive/___directive/e3ttZWRpYSB1cmw9Ind5c2l3eWcvYmxvZy9PbGQtU2NyZXcuanBnIn19/key/c36c5f7e848c05c262e788866366c54a/" data-mce-style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://www.workshopheaven.com/index.php/16syz11ygy16/cms_wysiwyg/directive/___directive/e3ttZWRpYSB1cmw9Ind5c2l3eWcvYmxvZy9PbGQtU2NyZXcuanBnIn19/key/c36c5f7e848c05c262e788866366c54a/" style="border: 0px; cursor: default; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; vertical-align: middle;" title="Old Version" /></div>
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<span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Next Issue: The missing main cutter!</strong></span></div>
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As Paul rightly said, the vast majority of a router plane’s work is done with a broad square edged cutter, which was notable by its absence on the first prototype.</div>
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On the bright side, this gave me a chance to influence the design a bit, so the new main cutter has a nominal width of 12mm with a slight taper so it cleans right into the corner without binding.</div>
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There is more relief angle underneath and both sides of the stem have flats, so it will default to square in either orientation without needing to be set.</div>
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The icing on the cake was to add full depth side bevels so it can be used in sliding or half blind dovetails - very handy.</div>
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<img alt="Main Cutter" data-mce-src="https://www.workshopheaven.com/index.php/16syz11ygy16/cms_wysiwyg/directive/___directive/e3ttZWRpYSB1cmw9Ind5c2l3eWcvYmxvZy9MdWJhbi1Sb3V0ZXItUGxhbmUuanBnIn19/key/c36c5f7e848c05c262e788866366c54a/" data-mce-style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://www.workshopheaven.com/index.php/16syz11ygy16/cms_wysiwyg/directive/___directive/e3ttZWRpYSB1cmw9Ind5c2l3eWcvYmxvZy9MdWJhbi1Sb3V0ZXItUGxhbmUuanBnIn19/key/c36c5f7e848c05c262e788866366c54a/" style="border: 0px; cursor: default; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; vertical-align: middle;" title="Main Cutter" /></div>
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The bottom of this trench came out glass smooth straight off the cutter with a fairly heavy 1/2mm setting across the grain, I haven’t honed the blade at all – just popped it straight in and used it.<br /><br /><strong><span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;">Working on narrow stock</span></strong></div>
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The remaining cutters have been left with a flat on one face of the stem and round on the other. This allows them to be set at an angle so the plane can be skewed when working on very narrow material, or perhaps more likely, to span a stopped housing close to an edge.<br /><br /><img alt="Routing Narrow Stock" data-mce-src="https://www.workshopheaven.com/index.php/16syz11ygy16/cms_wysiwyg/directive/___directive/e3ttZWRpYSB1cmw9Ind5c2l3eWcvYmxvZy9Sb3V0aW5nLU5hcnJvdy1TdG9jay5qcGcifX0,/key/c36c5f7e848c05c262e788866366c54a/" data-mce-style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://www.workshopheaven.com/index.php/16syz11ygy16/cms_wysiwyg/directive/___directive/e3ttZWRpYSB1cmw9Ind5c2l3eWcvYmxvZy9Sb3V0aW5nLU5hcnJvdy1TdG9jay5qcGcifX0,/key/c36c5f7e848c05c262e788866366c54a/" style="border: 0px; cursor: default; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; vertical-align: middle;" title="Routing Narrow Stock" /></div>
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There is a fourth cutter with a broad V-point but I can't for the life of me remember where I've put it, maybe the next thing I should make is a nice box to keep it all together. </div>
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There are a few other new treats arriving in the same shipment, more on those shortly.</div>
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<br />Availability:</div>
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The router planes have just (1st December) landed in the UK so they will be available to order in the next few days.</div>
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<u>The main cutters didn’t make the shipment, so they will be arriving by courier in two weeks time, these will be posted out free of charge to anyone who has already bought a router and included with the plane thereafter. </u><br /><br />Price:</div>
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The router plane costs £59.50 inc VAT<br /><br />I will post a link here as soon as the listing is live.<br /><br />Cheers,</div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: medium;" style="font-size: small;"><em><span data-mce-style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;" style="font-family: "comic sans ms", sans-serif;">Matthew</span></em></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841543812574325787.post-65854689860030043612016-09-26T12:48:00.001+01:002016-10-17T21:11:52.291+01:00In search of an extraordinary man, J Munro, Cabinetmaker & Minister<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I recently acquired a beautifully proportioned Scottish pattern infill smoothing plane at a <a href="http://www.davidstanley.com/" target="_blank">David Stanley</a> auction. I wasn't intending to buy it, but when the lot came up my hand seemed to develop a life of its own, at one stage I even tried to bid against myself - much to the amusement of the auctioneer and my fellow bidders. This one chose me - not the other way around.</div>
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The body is gunmetal with a steel sole sweated on, overstuffed with mahogany, and stamped on both infills with the name J Munro. Planes of this type would originally have been sold as a body and the infills completed by the craftsman. The pleasing proportions and elegant curves of the infills on this one are perfect to my eye, full and well balanced it just looks 'right'.<br />
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The stamps on the rear infill are unusual, tight against the sides of the tote such that they would have been very difficult to strike squarely after the tote (handle) was fitted. This and the fact that there are no other names on it, suggest that this is the mark of the man who originally stuffed the plane.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H_7vqu4bt70/V-kHSpjguQI/AAAAAAAABow/1EFNWLuxrTgliwJtpFzWUZQgIzTU9XP9gCLcB/s1600/Infill-smoother.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H_7vqu4bt70/V-kHSpjguQI/AAAAAAAABow/1EFNWLuxrTgliwJtpFzWUZQgIzTU9XP9gCLcB/s320/Infill-smoother.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Out of interest I googled 'J Munro cabinetmaker' and scrolling past the references for J Munro-Bell (who wrote the book on Thomas Sheraton) came across a John Munro junior in the records of cases decided by the <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=UPVQAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA600&lpg=PA600&dq=Munro+cabinetmaker&source=bl&ots=Zu9kd-A7vF&sig=J3svSj9CScT7aKmp3rxcKw3bnwc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiCkdrLtavPAhXFKMAKHeaWCWw4ChDoAQgbMAA#v=onepage&q=Munro%20cabinetmaker&f=false" target="_blank">Scottish Supreme Court 7th July 1837</a>. The date is about right for this type of plane, so we may be on the right track, but how the blue blazes did a simple dispute over an indenture of apprenticeship end up getting all the way to the supreme court?<br />
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19th century Scottish legalese is far from easy reading, but from what I can ascertain, our man was apprenticed to John Clark of Inverness. Munro left before his apprenticeship was complete and set up on his own and both he and his father were duly sued by Clark for 'horning' or reneiging on the terms of his indenture. The Munro's countered that Mr Clark had "deserted his work without leaving any one to teach his apprentices their trade, as he was bound to do" furthermore they asserted that that Clark "repeatedly assaulted and ill used" Munro Jnr and that he did not provide his apprentices with proper board.</div>
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Clark pursued the Munro's all the way to the supreme court, whose four judges unanimously upheld the decision of the Lord Ordinary in favour of the Munro's, that they had caution (pronounced Kayshun, meaning protection) in the terms of the original indenture of apprenticeship. </div>
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I also found a later reference to a Scottish cabinetmaker named John Munro in a history of <a href="http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/heritage/FSCNS/Scots_NS/Clans/MacIvor/Clansfolk_MacIvor/Book_Canada/Chapter_23.html" target="_blank">Clan MacIvor</a>, who having trained as a cabinetmaker in Scotland, emigrated to New York and continued his trade there. On a visit back to Scotland he found God and was encouraged by friends to join the ministry, he struggled with the decision but... <br />
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back to New York intending to work at his trade; but, as he told it
himself, he never unpacked his tools, but returned to Scotland, entered
college and began preparing for the ministry."</div>
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After a spell in Edinburgh where he met his wife to be, a homeopath, Munro emigrated to Nova Scotia in 1848, was instrumental in the construction of no less than four churches, Rev John Munro and his wife lie alongside each other beside one of the churches that he founded and ministered in for 28 years before his death in 1877.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0dxUgcV2a20/V-kHxEjRNUI/AAAAAAAABo8/xCMouz_bnccgiJcvvBb94tolFWyG6LQ-gCLcB/s1600/Gunmetal-Infill-Plane.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0dxUgcV2a20/V-kHxEjRNUI/AAAAAAAABo8/xCMouz_bnccgiJcvvBb94tolFWyG6LQ-gCLcB/s320/Gunmetal-Infill-Plane.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Whether these two tales are of the same man, and whether it is the same man who made such a beautiful job of stuffing this infill plane I will probably never know. But the thought that it might have been made and owned by a gentle and principled man who wasn't afraid to stand up for his beliefs makes it that bit more special to me. <br />
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If anyone has any further information about John Munro I would be very glad to receive it.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841543812574325787.post-48020814859765582452016-08-28T07:44:00.000+01:002016-08-28T07:52:59.281+01:00Bank Holiday Bonanza - Free Block Planes!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=802af86f58533ba53cec3565f&id=463cc9b7ed&e=bd0dd1d48b" target="_blank"><img alt="http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=802af86f58533ba53cec3565f&id=463cc9b7ed&e=bd0dd1d48b" border="0" height="203" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_pWqDRapgsc/V8KEpjiGiPI/AAAAAAAABoM/poGTRnKSFkopRbmQ57K75kW3ZlNn-In6QCLcB/s320/Discount-Code.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=802af86f58533ba53cec3565f&id=463cc9b7ed&e=bd0dd1d48b" target="_blank"><br />Click here for details</a></div>
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Spend over £200 on Quangsheng tools this bank holiday weekend, enter the code <b>AUGBH</b> at the checkout and we will add a <b>FREE</b> <a href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Quangsheng-Low-Angle-Block-Plane--Type-3.html" target="_blank">Quangsheng low angle block plane</a> worth £79.50 to your order.<br />
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Offer available 27th-29th August 2016.<br />
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For full details please <a href="http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=802af86f58533ba53cec3565f&id=463cc9b7ed&e=bd0dd1d48b" target="_blank">click here</a> to see an online copy of our email newsletter about the promotion. </div>
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To receive more offers like this, please sign up for our free monthly <a href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/workshop_heaven_newsletter.html" target="_blank">Workshop Heaven Newsletter</a>. <br />We promise not to bombard you with 'deal of the day' or sell your details to anyone and you are free to unsubscribe at any time.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841543812574325787.post-6632142548179352862016-07-20T17:24:00.001+01:002016-07-20T17:29:25.127+01:00Special Discount on Circular Saws<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ertyDZYtcBs/V4-euF8xkII/AAAAAAAABnM/1wDgrVg48FoA_84StRlcBoONjtr3N5GZQCLcB/s1600/Industrial_Circular_Saw_Blades.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ertyDZYtcBs/V4-euF8xkII/AAAAAAAABnM/1wDgrVg48FoA_84StRlcBoONjtr3N5GZQCLcB/s320/Industrial_Circular_Saw_Blades.jpg" width="259" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;">25% off</span></span> <br />Sheffield made circular saw blades.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Each of these beautiful quality, re-sharpenable, industrial circular saw blades is individually heat treated, hand smithed and tensioned by time served professional sawsmiths in Sheffield. This process ensures that the internal structure of the saw body is correctly established so that the saw 'wants' to run true. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pc6Y_YbDH9Y/V4-kgSCu2kI/AAAAAAAABnc/56iiE86kxW85cnzlyfOYTSZ7Pf4Qru18gCLcB/s1600/AWGEN3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pc6Y_YbDH9Y/V4-kgSCu2kI/AAAAAAAABnc/56iiE86kxW85cnzlyfOYTSZ7Pf4Qru18gCLcB/s320/AWGEN3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">The installation and grinding of the meaty tungsten carbide tips is carried out by state of the art computer controlled robots to 1/100mm precision. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0D5FUpsC0oo/V4-ksBYynSI/AAAAAAAABng/RaWiMQRZ3PUmoE88C_brt4HQF79Uyv9MwCLcB/s1600/hitech.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0D5FUpsC0oo/V4-ksBYynSI/AAAAAAAABng/RaWiMQRZ3PUmoE88C_brt4HQF79Uyv9MwCLcB/s320/hitech.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small; transition: 1s ease 0s;">The result is a saw blade of unrivaled quality that delivers the smoothest, cleanest, most sublimely accurate cut that your machine is capable of. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Individually hardened and tempered saw bodies</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hand smithed and tensioned for perfect balance.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Precision computer ground tungsten carbide tips.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Custom bore sizing / bushing at no extra charge.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">FREE UK mainland delivery for orders over £100 </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Enter the Workshop Heaven discount code: <br /><br /><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">AWWH25</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">at the checkout to redeem your discount.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Offer ends 19th August 2016.</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841543812574325787.post-43368924001270079642016-07-01T23:17:00.000+01:002017-02-01T11:59:52.164+00:00The Humble Gimlet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hxopr_HCOwA/V3bVwgyg4HI/AAAAAAAABms/aeGHGdfM9vIsnlQKEO4N_n-uBIndGMn8gCKgB/s1600/Auger-Gimlet-Set.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hxopr_HCOwA/V3bVwgyg4HI/AAAAAAAABms/aeGHGdfM9vIsnlQKEO4N_n-uBIndGMn8gCKgB/s320/Auger-Gimlet-Set.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Gimlet is a lovely word, it comes from the French 'guinbelet' and refers to a small, very simple type of hand drill that was ubiquitous up until the invention of the <a href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/FAMAG-1594.819-19pc-HSS-G-Lip---Spur-Set.html" target="_blank">lip and spur</a>. </div>
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The French got the word from the Dutch 'Wimmel' meaning auger, which despite the best civilising efforts of 'le bourgoise' also survived intact in colloquial French and was brought over by the invading Normans to become 'Wimble' - a common generic term in old English for any type of drill. <br />
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It is appropriate then, that our new 7 piece sets of crisp, sharp classically formed <a href="https://www.workshopheaven.com/set-of-7-auger-gimlets.html" target="_blank">gimlets</a> are made by a small company in France. I had used old ones before and they still did a reasonable job, but the difference when you try one that is new and sharp is nothing short of remarkable.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nNa1GxNofJ4/V3bp5wXY0qI/AAAAAAAABm8/Km_jBkmXWpoV-VCi-JZMJzmiJl-PrMKZACLcB/s1600/DSC_4465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="211" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nNa1GxNofJ4/V3bp5wXY0qI/AAAAAAAABm8/Km_jBkmXWpoV-VCi-JZMJzmiJl-PrMKZACLcB/s320/DSC_4465.JPG" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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The gimlet has survived, virtually unaltered for a thousand years, thanks to its usefulness for preparing fixing holes at the ends of boards. Having planed your boards true, the last thing you want to do is split them near the ends when you drive a nail or screw. In good air dried timber a gimlet will cut a beautifully formed hole anything up to one and a half times its own diameter from the end of a board. The conical shape of the hole allows screws to engage fully, or if you prefer you can clamp on a sacrificial backing board and carry on drilling for a clean, parallel sided, through hole.</div>
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I don't expect these to catch on with the power tool crowd, but if your heart is set on working unplugged they are something of a necessity. </div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f6EK4-jbipk/T2oA2ZWa1RI/AAAAAAAAAd4/drhe4zx4hQ8oeSOZ2WuylwmeQsTju-LqwCKgB/s1600/Workshop-Heaven-blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="50" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f6EK4-jbipk/T2oA2ZWa1RI/AAAAAAAAAd4/drhe4zx4hQ8oeSOZ2WuylwmeQsTju-LqwCKgB/s320/Workshop-Heaven-blog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841543812574325787.post-55480150567507039712016-05-26T15:36:00.001+01:002016-05-26T15:38:06.721+01:00Rice and Chips - The new Fugaku range of saws from Gyokucho <br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fmN-rlp7v5o/V0cI2VqcG-I/AAAAAAAABmc/VFA7KRaSa6URbPa5VkpA3YfwWl7IJajIwCLcB/s1600/Gyokucho-Fugaku-Set-of-three.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fmN-rlp7v5o/V0cI2VqcG-I/AAAAAAAABmc/VFA7KRaSa6URbPa5VkpA3YfwWl7IJajIwCLcB/s320/Gyokucho-Fugaku-Set-of-three.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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In the 1940's Japanese knifemakers combined the virtues of European and Japanese knives to produce the santoku - a design classic that has now become ubiquitous in kitchens throughout the world.<br />
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Gyokucho, the company that invented and perfected the replaceable blade Japanese saw in the 1970's, are fishing for a little bit of that same east-meets-west magic with their new range of <a href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Japanese_Saws.html">Fugaku folding saws</a>, and I believe they have hit upon something rather special.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B1JpIFsXaAw/V0cD76RIJ_I/AAAAAAAABmE/JsQ0zBISLSs2d7zTPsHFzalahAyS_lNnwCLcB/s1600/Japanese-Saw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B1JpIFsXaAw/V0cD76RIJ_I/AAAAAAAABmE/JsQ0zBISLSs2d7zTPsHFzalahAyS_lNnwCLcB/s320/Japanese-Saw.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Lacquered quartersawn beech has been the preferred handle material for English backsaws for centuries. The way that the material is cut from the log maximises its dimensional stability and, when the light catches it just right, also displays the flower of the timber beautifully in the faces of the finished piece. This harmonious combination of function and appearance is just the sort of thing that the Japanese appreciate and it sits naturally with their own experience of high quality lacquered finishes.<br />
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Another functional aspect of western backsaws is the clever use of weight, a carefully proportioned spine engages the teeth perfectly for maximum cutting efficiency and the sawyer can use their discretion as to how much of the saws weight they either support or allow the wood to bear. It's a bit like driving a car with cruise control stuck at 55 and controlling everything with the brakes. Master this and you can start smoothly and stop at a line.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X_s-ng0x0Tg/V0bYHJmxXHI/AAAAAAAABl0/vw4PW2_XYZonw5_MFqow6QQTMSirpYfsgCLcB/s1600/Japanese-Saws.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X_s-ng0x0Tg/V0bYHJmxXHI/AAAAAAAABl0/vw4PW2_XYZonw5_MFqow6QQTMSirpYfsgCLcB/s320/Japanese-Saws.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Rather than adding weight simply for its own sake, Gyokucho have used it to over-engineer a beautifully smooth folding mechanism and a folded spine made from a thicker steel pressing than that used on their traditional Japanese saws. This extra weight gives the saws a more pronounced sense of feeding the power on or holding it back, as well as the technique common to both cultures of using sharper strokes to cut faster, or softer ones to cut with more control.<br />
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The blade geometry and toothing are all Japanese; for saws that are used horizontally the logical arguments for a pull stroke and a thin blade working in tension are unassailable. They have however, chosen blade designs from the existing Gyokucho range that are functionally closest to the western trinity of dovetail saw, carcase saw and panel saw. <br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BoeywU9OUKI/V0cFCGITIoI/AAAAAAAABmM/tyjVMTKGRykOL-fm_D8iHTexf9TnreLcgCLcB/s1600/Gyokucho-Fugaku-Saws.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BoeywU9OUKI/V0cFCGITIoI/AAAAAAAABmM/tyjVMTKGRykOL-fm_D8iHTexf9TnreLcgCLcB/s320/Gyokucho-Fugaku-Saws.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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At the moment woodworkers are polarised by lack of choice into a preference for either western or Japanese saws. Whether there is also a group who prefer saws that respectfully draw upon both traditions, only time will tell.<br />
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Fugaku saws and replacement blades are available now from:</div>
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<a href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Japanese_Saws.html"><img alt=" www.workshopheaven.com" border="0" height="64" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ztqwpw_SysM/So6UDmtSesI/AAAAAAAAAA8/wJndw0o28Xs9RjU3V-YmNrpLQbI216IoACKgB/s320/WorkshopHeavenLogo.final.20x4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841543812574325787.post-58135566204121073282016-03-29T21:38:00.000+01:002016-03-30T22:06:27.060+01:00Marc Fish Dovetails<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7PPjUm4hudo/VvqUPLh2rPI/AAAAAAAABjk/fDqDhIO3G2gl1y9j0o4AMfmXS8ydT6bWg/s1600/Woodworking-Training.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7PPjUm4hudo/VvqUPLh2rPI/AAAAAAAABjk/fDqDhIO3G2gl1y9j0o4AMfmXS8ydT6bWg/s320/Woodworking-Training.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The other day I shared a post from <a href="http://www.marcfish.co.uk/" target="_blank">Marc Fish</a> advertising his upcoming <a href="http://www.marcfish.co.uk/Dovetailing.htm" target="_blank">weekend dovetailing course</a> at Robinson House Studio in West Sussex. Another good friend, Rob Stoakley, left a comment questioning whether it would be possible to teach a joint like the one shown in the photo on a weekend course? </div>
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I should point out that this joint isn't the actual content of the course, that starts with a basic right angle through DT, progresses to half blind followed by a look at the more complex stuff. Having said that, it was my contention that this joint <u>could</u> be taught in a weekend. Once you have grasped the basic principles of hand cut dovetails, it isn't a massive leap to introducing a few cheeky curves and non-90 angles. Before you know it you can be confidently exploring a whole world of creative possibilities that are only accessible with hand tools and the same core techniques.</div>
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As you might expect the gauntlet was duly laid down and picked up, so here's a brief summary of the method I used to make a mock up of the dovetail joint from Marc's award winning <span class="st" style="transition: transform 1s ease 0s;">desk L'Orchidée</span>.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ouUGxArsscU/VvqaWBHoDAI/AAAAAAAABj0/7-BF3zWJwGkSkPap4LcYLoEfc5EGsoPeA/s1600/MarcFishDTLayout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ouUGxArsscU/VvqaWBHoDAI/AAAAAAAABj0/7-BF3zWJwGkSkPap4LcYLoEfc5EGsoPeA/s320/MarcFishDTLayout.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I used lime and mahogany, both relatively soft timbers, dressed square and true and then cut the end of the lime at an angle to replicate the pointed corner on the original.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zm_UGTxSzz4/Vvqcf-khutI/AAAAAAAABkA/0gifc6RMcgkcX0kUxPz8jAsM3y4f4Oa0g/s1600/MarcFishDTSawing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zm_UGTxSzz4/Vvqcf-khutI/AAAAAAAABkA/0gifc6RMcgkcX0kUxPz8jAsM3y4f4Oa0g/s320/MarcFishDTSawing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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My dovetail saw was a bit shallow in the blade for the longest edges, so I had to 'make do' with a 14" sash saw from Bad Axe. It is a testament to the smoothness of this tool that by using a very light touch it was still able to cope with the perilously thin mahogany, leaving just a whisper to clean up with a sharp thin bladed chisel.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X-Ft8sTD7ug/VvqeB8j-USI/AAAAAAAABkM/FRRcRjNtgR8rmEgWdZB1f9PQ2rmdmkcxg/s1600/MarcFishDTParing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X-Ft8sTD7ug/VvqeB8j-USI/AAAAAAAABkM/FRRcRjNtgR8rmEgWdZB1f9PQ2rmdmkcxg/s320/MarcFishDTParing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Tails done, I transferred the layout to the front piece with a marking knife and carefully pared out the bulk of the waste to create a corresponding negative space. Fishtail skews are an absolute godsend for the job of tidying up the corners.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uqcd_6eLmyA/VvqfUaktLoI/AAAAAAAABkc/-BJ_07bbERYDFkXD1K64H74ct9D7N-Ztw/s1600/MarcFishDTParing1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uqcd_6eLmyA/VvqfUaktLoI/AAAAAAAABkc/-BJ_07bbERYDFkXD1K64H74ct9D7N-Ztw/s320/MarcFishDTParing1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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With the joint itself cut, it was on to carving and shaping the front. By defining edges first and then sneaking up on them from the middle it is possible to get complex curves pretty close by eye and then tidy up with sanding or scraping.</div>
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A drop of glue, a tap with a mallet to bring it together, and the joint is done. </div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QIPK1sYcebc/VvqjmPOFODI/AAAAAAAABlE/bQKKZeS3hnQD1Yq3_VKrqSixplmldFemA/s1600/MarcFishDTGlue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QIPK1sYcebc/VvqjmPOFODI/AAAAAAAABlE/bQKKZeS3hnQD1Yq3_VKrqSixplmldFemA/s320/MarcFishDTGlue.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Not as crisp and tight as Marc's joinery by a long chalk, but as a practice piece it was fun to make and demonstrates that with basic hand tool skills, common sense and a little bit of practice, you can take on more complex and creative joinery.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841543812574325787.post-14895356193536462472015-12-09T12:29:00.003+00:002015-12-21T11:54:02.591+00:00Redesigning the No.043 Plough Plane <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DNOtIallgvY/VmgQqg2BWAI/AAAAAAAABjA/MXBPCp-7Kdw/s1600/Christmas-Present.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DNOtIallgvY/VmgQqg2BWAI/AAAAAAAABjA/MXBPCp-7Kdw/s400/Christmas-Present.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Every once in a while life throws up a wonderful opportunity that's just too good to miss. So when Quangsheng told me they had one available development slot left for 2014/15 and invited me to design a product to fill it, I absolutely leapt at the chance.<br />
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I chose as my starting point, the humble but much loved Record 043 plough plane (US = plow plane), a British designed tool introduced in 1934 and last made in 1978. During that time it sold in vast numbers and was copied by several other manufacturers in England and even as far away as Russia, but not as yet by anyone who sought to improve upon it.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bi02yUm1elY/ViZAvuu-URI/AAAAAAAABhs/0s0b1AJvt7o/s1600/FenceRods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bi02yUm1elY/ViZAvuu-URI/AAAAAAAABhs/0s0b1AJvt7o/s320/FenceRods.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The 43 has one very useful role that most woodworkers discover a need for when they start making drawers, picture frames, windowsills or simple boxes with sliding lids. It cuts grooves, the narrow housings that accept a panel, like a drawer bottom, or a box lid, or the slot for the glass in a picture frame. Thanks to the relieved fence it can also cut rebates on the edge of a board for carcasses and bookcases. The depth is governed by a depth stop (often missing on secondhand examples) and the distance from the edge is set by adjusting the fence. </div>
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To knack to cutting a good groove is to start with a short cut at the end of the board and go a little further back with each pass. The plane takes a fairly heavy shaving so you reach depth quickly, quietly and without the clouds of fine dust that you get with a router. </div>
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Despite the massive numbers of these tools that were produced and sold, good quality complete examples are getting thin on the ground. Buying two or three and then cannibalising them for parts is all well and good, but as secondhand prices and postage costs rise that too becomes an expensive game. So the question now was, if we are going to produce a new one, how can we make this wonderful tool even better?<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xzz-_8ZQfbI/Vmf-3WocQKI/AAAAAAAABiM/MPtrGos51gI/s1600/Record-No.043-Plow-Plane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xzz-_8ZQfbI/Vmf-3WocQKI/AAAAAAAABiM/MPtrGos51gI/s320/Record-No.043-Plow-Plane.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The first thing to go was the uncomfortable stippled casting web at the back, the 'knuckle grater'. In the iron casting it is there for strength, but by using stainless steel instead, we could give the new 43 a larger open loop handle that is both stronger and more comfortable to hold. The design engineer at QS came up with the wonderfully neat solution of using the rear fence rod hole to brace the corner whilst also rotating the clamping screw out of the way.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HrhiPW5h5_w/ViZAhgO9t3I/AAAAAAAABhk/sgV8SL4CYlw/s1600/QS-43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HrhiPW5h5_w/ViZAhgO9t3I/AAAAAAAABhk/sgV8SL4CYlw/s320/QS-43.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The original plane came with three imperial blades as standard with additional sizes and metric blades available separately. Since metric is now the order of the day for sheet goods (even in America - shhh don't tell em!) the new version has eight blades, four metric and four imperial. In practical terms that gives you four options for a tight fit and four options for a sliding fit to allow for movement. If you need the occasional wider housing or rebate, you can always reset the fence and make a second series of passes. The cutters are all precision ground from 3mm thick T10 carbon steel with relieved sides to eliminate binding. They are hardened to RC63.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-re8zojv4Vqw/VmgG7Zw9weI/AAAAAAAABik/uGTYCldUwuM/s1600/Quangsheng-043-Blades.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-re8zojv4Vqw/VmgG7Zw9weI/AAAAAAAABik/uGTYCldUwuM/s320/Quangsheng-043-Blades.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Rather than expecting the user to make their own fence, we decided it would be better to include a factory made rosewood one and give the user the option to take it off if they want to. The original 043 had screw holes for attaching a wooden fence and for those that ever got around to making one, this addition improved the stability of the tool no end.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PT0aCLkGaCc/VmgFuP1__XI/AAAAAAAABic/k9Sg4hK59U8/s1600/Luban-043-in-use.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PT0aCLkGaCc/VmgFuP1__XI/AAAAAAAABic/k9Sg4hK59U8/s400/Luban-043-in-use.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The last alteration was to extend the usefulness of the tool by adding a clamp to the skate that can be used to attach a saw blade. This extends the usefulness of the tool by enabling it to cut very narrow grooves, create a guide kerf for resawing boards to width, or accurately cut stringing from the corner of a planed blank with a minimum of waste. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zZV3Io00P2E/VmgbeHZlWSI/AAAAAAAABjQ/2nxs54lFx2M/s1600/QS043SAW2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zZV3Io00P2E/VmgbeHZlWSI/AAAAAAAABjQ/2nxs54lFx2M/s320/QS043SAW2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Much of the inspiration for this feature came from Tom Fidgen of <a href="http://www.theunpluggedwoodshop.com/" target="_blank">The Unplugged Woodshop</a>. Tom is a great advocate of kerfing planes and his design for a shopmade kerfing plane is one of the most popular plans in his first book. Here's a short video of Tom trying out the prototype Quangsheng 043 with the saw attachment. He had just about bottomed out the cut by the time I got my phone fired up, but you get the idea.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzKT_XNJqUR9mMIy-Wu_qYYZrJTjuiTc5gDzHY7BpRx6VirnVyKa8r69UlHvQFIDtpSU8ACZHDRLvmsXEeB7g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Since then we have made some further refinements to the design of the sawplate and are now having the saws manufactured in the UK, they will be available shortly as an optional extra. <br />
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Needless to say, I am absolutely delighted with the result. The lightness and compact, manageable feel of the original is retained, but with greater comfort, better materials and lashings of extra versatility. Groovy!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DNOtIallgvY/VmgQqg2BWAI/AAAAAAAABjE/q2_eD_YtCmg/s1600/Christmas-Present.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DNOtIallgvY/VmgQqg2BWAI/AAAAAAAABjE/q2_eD_YtCmg/s400/Christmas-Present.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you're in North America you will need to pester your local Woodcraft to stock them. For the rest of the world the Quangsheng Luban No.043 is available here:<br />
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<a href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Quangsheng-No-043-Plough-Plane.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Workshop Heaven Fine Tools" border="0" height="59" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j-q3ag54CZM/VTpTeA9GiQI/AAAAAAAABXs/jRItch0oItw/s320/WorkshopHeavenLogo-2014-01-24.RGB.jpg" title="Workshop Heaven Fine Tools" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841543812574325787.post-23594626236785448392015-10-12T19:10:00.001+01:002015-12-09T09:52:48.467+00:00Clifton Planes and Pax Saws Video - Made in Sheffield, England.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N293MWgfYcw/Vmf5zjDWA1I/AAAAAAAABh8/Nv5jgdglO4I/s1600/Clifton-Block-Plane-Fixed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N293MWgfYcw/Vmf5zjDWA1I/AAAAAAAABh8/Nv5jgdglO4I/s320/Clifton-Block-Plane-Fixed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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In this beautifully produced new video you can see for yourself how <a href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Clifton_Planes.html" target="_blank">Clifton Handplanes</a> and <a href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Pax_Saws.html" target="_blank">Pax Saws</a> are made, one at a time, with care and skill, in Sheffield.<br />
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Proper hand engineering, machines with knobs and handwheels rather than usb ports, operated by clever men in blue coats with micrometers and feeler gauges sticking out of their pockets.<br />
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The really good news is that by focusing on quality rather than price, the toolmaking industry in Sheffield is growing back! </div>
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Craftspeople are increasingly returning to the idea of saws that last a lifetime and planes that can handle knots. It's also great to see British youngsters coming into toolmaking and learning the craft of making them as well as possible, not as cheaply as possible.<br />
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Enjoy...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NiW5E8vYaPo/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NiW5E8vYaPo?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<a href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Clifton_Planes.html" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Clifton_Planes.html" border="0" height="58" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F3Vew1d2Bd0/So6lLBjdfeI/AAAAAAAAA7E/UPANjesc7Hc/s320/Workshop-Heaven-blog.gif" title="Clifton Video" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841543812574325787.post-29539219623517605262015-10-02T17:05:00.001+01:002015-10-03T15:09:27.047+01:00Guédelon - Welcome to the thirteenth century.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3841543812574325787" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rhAsz0kHZ60/Vf79nxQt0WI/AAAAAAAABgA/Pmlufnuv0vw/s1600/Guedelon-Castle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rhAsz0kHZ60/Vf79nxQt0WI/AAAAAAAABgA/Pmlufnuv0vw/s320/Guedelon-Castle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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When you first arrive at Guédelon, you don't see the castle straight
away, but even the most mildly attuned will certainly feel it, the sheer creative energy of the place reverberates through the
surrounding woodland like a drum! <br />
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As you walk towards the site, you
gradually become aware of the rapid 'tick, tick, tick' of masons chisels
on stone, then the slower 'ting.. ting.. ting' from the blacksmiths shop.
The creak of handmade hemp ropes taking the strain is gradually joined by the smell of oak and the
damp earth beneath your feet. You are literally walking out of our sanitised, air conditioned, plastic world and into 13th century reality. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GryQCxRNOL8/Vf7_c97qC9I/AAAAAAAABgM/d1znoMMiUU0/s1600/Guedelon-Crane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GryQCxRNOL8/Vf7_c97qC9I/AAAAAAAABgM/d1znoMMiUU0/s320/Guedelon-Crane.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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Guédelon is a 25 year scientific and experimental archaeology project. It's not archaeology in the sense of digging up artifacts and analysing them, instead this audacious project seeks to recreate a complete quarter decade of the past intact, and with it challenges faced by craftspeople from 1242 to 1267. <br />
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By applying the solutions that we know they had available at the time, historians are able to find the gaps in our knowledge, deliver reasonable suggestions for how the remaining problems might have been overcome, and then test them within the context of the time. This is especially interesting for me, because the only production methods available at the time were hand crafts.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MDuTWEJWuMc/Vf7_t9Ib_-I/AAAAAAAABgU/rv_9g1jNHxY/s1600/Guedelon-Mason.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MDuTWEJWuMc/Vf7_t9Ib_-I/AAAAAAAABgU/rv_9g1jNHxY/s320/Guedelon-Mason.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The thing that struck me most deeply during the visit was the level of interdependence between the many crafts. Imagine a musician, who had only ever heard snippets of individual instruments played solo, suddenly walking into the Royal Albert Hall with the London Philharmonic in full flow and you begin to get an idea.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-akq8x4Afp0k/Vg6aAp2RS4I/AAAAAAAABhE/UJMH9AGiZWA/s1600/Log-Dogs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-akq8x4Afp0k/Vg6aAp2RS4I/AAAAAAAABhE/UJMH9AGiZWA/s320/Log-Dogs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The woodsmen would select, fell and square timber for the carpenters, cartwrights and millwrights using axes and dogs forged by the blacksmith, using charcoal supplied by the woodsmen. The millwrights would use the wood to build a mill to grind the farmers' wheat for the baker to make into bread using a hearth lined with tiles made by the tiler and a table made by the carpenters so that everyone could eat. </div>
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We all know that occupational surnames like Smith, Tyler, Carpenter, Wright and Baker are rooted in the crafts, but when you stand in the middle of a complete working community you realise <u>how and why</u> they became surnames. These were not just jobs, everybody made something and what they made completely defined their existence, as well as
their place within the community and wider society - for generation after generation.<br />
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In my day job at <a href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/" target="_blank">Workshop Heaven</a> I often meet people who harbour an inexplicable but long held yearning to make things with their hands. I Now understand why that feeling exists. We have spent thousands of years evolving into a species of makers, it is a fundamental part of our genetic makeup that transcends borders, language and cultures. It is, in essence, what we are. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cR32ArN1w4Q/Vg6QNqviXpI/AAAAAAAABg0/pwvnSMiaUdQ/s1600/Guedelon-Enclosed-Battlements.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cR32ArN1w4Q/Vg6QNqviXpI/AAAAAAAABg0/pwvnSMiaUdQ/s320/Guedelon-Enclosed-Battlements.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
The crafts themselves have changed very little and were already long established by the 1240's. Chatting with the Blacksmith he explained that the fundamental skills of the craft (drawing down, jumping up, punching, cutting and fire welding) equipped him for everything that had been tasked with at Guedelon, it was just a question of working out how to apply them to the job at hand and taking as long as it takes. The biggest hardship for the smiths was the lack of flat material to work with. The bloomery iron that would have been available at the time comes as a lump, so if you want sheet, you need to first beat it flat by hand before you can begin.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GXh7rMnxhWg/Vg6i2Lkti7I/AAAAAAAABhU/QU1BpzQpOWc/s1600/Guedelon-Blacksmith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GXh7rMnxhWg/Vg6i2Lkti7I/AAAAAAAABhU/QU1BpzQpOWc/s320/Guedelon-Blacksmith.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Castle builders' main tools were the plumb line, the level (plumb line on a frame) and the thirteen knot rope, a deceptively simple tool that can be used to form a variety of surprisingly accurate geometric shapes.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3YyeVKfM4-4/Vg6JXbTPXeI/AAAAAAAABgk/3Me5QL8rrK8/s1600/Guedelon-Level.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3YyeVKfM4-4/Vg6JXbTPXeI/AAAAAAAABgk/3Me5QL8rrK8/s320/Guedelon-Level.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Examples of all of these have been unearthed at the pyramids, built some three and a half
thousand years earlier, (when you have just stepped back in time by 750
years, another 3500 seems like a very long way indeed). Ironically, at exactly the time Guédelon would have been under construction, the pious French King Louis IX was extending the crusades into Egypt - there's gratitude for you!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EMcbMvwpn5I/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EMcbMvwpn5I?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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If you would like to visit Guedelon for yourself, it is a couple of hours south of Paris in the Treigny area . Details can be found at <a href="http://www.guedelon.fr/en/">http://www.guedelon.fr/en/</a>. The site is open every day except Wednesday until the 3rd of November 2015 and re-open's next March. Tours are conducted in French, English, Dutch and German.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841543812574325787.post-29804323712266511072015-08-15T10:40:00.002+01:002015-08-29T17:01:58.050+01:00First impressions of the Clifton block planeWe received our first delivery of Clifton block planes yesterday, so I thought I'd share some photos and initial impressions. <br />
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As you can see it's a very handsome looking thing indeed, with very clean and elegant flowing lines. <br />
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<a class="postlink" href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Clifton-Low-Angle-Block-Plane-Adjustable-Mouth.html"><img alt="Image" src="http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Clifton_Block_Plane_Free_Scraper-zoom0.jpg" style="width: 500px;" title="Click Here To See Image Full Size " /></a><br />
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The
next thing you notice is the mass, at nearly 1kg (just over 2lb) this
plane has quite a presence. That said, I'm used to using a narrower
60-1/2 and this is nearer to the proportions of a 9-1/2, so that may be why it's so noticeable to me.
It feels <span style="text-decoration: underline;">wonderfully</span> planted on a big endgrain surface, and if you have larger hands prepare to be enraptured!<br />
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<a class="postlink" href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Clifton-Low-Angle-Block-Plane-Adjustable-Mouth.html"><img alt="Image" src="https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/11855757_1016530098391560_1310290155997308226_n.jpg?oh=592f8437186e32ab32d1acd85bf69ee7&oe=567BCC47" style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px;" title="Click Here To See Image Full Size " /></a><br />
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The
body is vacuum cast bronze, a process where the mould is evacuated of
air and the liquid metal is literally sucked in. It's a comparatively
expensive way of going about it, but every last detail is captured
perfectly with no voids, so they gain a bit back by having nothing to
reject when the castings are ring tested. <br />
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The bodies are
individually machined one at a time (mention gang milling at Clifton and
the room goes silent) and carefully hand finished. This is an important
point, a Clifton is very much a handcrafted object, you will find minor
asymmetries, hand tooling marks and no two are exactly identical, they
are <span style="text-decoration: underline;">made</span>, by one craftsman for another, rather than produced.<br />
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<a class="postlink" href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Clifton-Low-Angle-Block-Plane-Adjustable-Mouth.html"><img alt="Image" src="http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Clifton_Block_Plane-zoom1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px;" title="Click Here To See Image Full Size " /></a> <br />
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The
blade is beautifully thick and I noticed on the wholesale price list
that they are listed as '25 degrees', read into that what you will...! I
absolutely <span style="text-decoration: underline;">love</span> the way
they have incorporated the adjuster at the back and the fact that they
have included the bumps in the sides of the bed to align the blade and
provide a fulcrum for the adjustment - this is exactly the way Thomas
Norris intended this adjustment system to be used. <br />
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<a class="postlink" href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Clifton-Low-Angle-Block-Plane-Adjustable-Mouth.html"><img alt="Image" src="http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Clifton_Block_Plane-zoom3.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 500px;" title="Click Here To See Image Full Size " /></a> <br />
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Some
people will squeak and hurrumph about the price being nearly the same
as a No.4 smoother, viewed another way you might draw the conclusion
that the bench planes are 'still remarkably cheap at the moment'. In
either case, I'm glad that Clifton are sticking to their guns,
concentrating on making handmade tools beautifully, and letting everyone
else respond to them.<br />
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Great job Clifton, this one really hits the mark!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841543812574325787.post-74340944308602585502015-08-12T21:21:00.002+01:002015-08-12T21:22:49.766+01:00Excellent Woodworking Videos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ever have one of those moments where you go, "oh yeah, of course...obvious when you think about it!" <br />
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Here's an excerpt from the new video series on Richard Maguire's site The English Woodworker. <br />
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This is probably the best 'ordinary fundamentals of the craft' instructional video series I have watched, no egotism, no nonsense, just proper knowledgeable instruction at a sensible pace. If your grandad had done an apprenticeship, this is very close to what he would have learned and, video technology aside, how he would have learned it.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5xK5I2ie2N4/Vcunkc792KI/AAAAAAAABfg/8JZ_Xb2Om1c/s1600/HAND-PLANING-TECHNIQUE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5xK5I2ie2N4/Vcunkc792KI/AAAAAAAABfg/8JZ_Xb2Om1c/s320/HAND-PLANING-TECHNIQUE.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A lot of people are squeamish about paying for video tuition, especially when there is so much free content available. But when you put an hourly rate on your time, he only needs to save you a couple or three hours maximum before it has paid for itself. If you honestly believe it would be more efficient to spend that time trawling through hours of badly shot footage for the odd snippet of insight, or perhaps struggling in the workshop trying to figure it out for yourself, be my guest. <br />
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Richard is classically trained and makes his day-to-day living building furniture with hand tools. He has a beautiful working rhythm and is on hand to answer your questions.<br />
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Forget 'tricks of the trade', this IS the trade.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/C0PyuOw5vBU/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C0PyuOw5vBU?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841543812574325787.post-85498840864675556472015-08-06T16:41:00.000+01:002015-08-26T11:42:28.087+01:00The best screwdriver in the world...<div class="_5pbx userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y7s5ENA_XRg/VR05dLKgnfI/AAAAAAAABV0/0IeDncGOQOU/s1600/Best-Screwdriver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y7s5ENA_XRg/VR05dLKgnfI/AAAAAAAABV0/0IeDncGOQOU/s1600/Best-Screwdriver.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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1 part Chase English Potato Vodka</div>
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4 parts freshly squeezed and sieved orange juice<span class="text_exposed_show" style="transition: transform 1s ease 0s;"></span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="transition: transform 1s ease 0s;"> 1 handful of frozen grapes</span></div>
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To make the worlds best vodka screwdriver you have to start with the <a href="http://www.chasedistillery.co.uk/vodka.php" target="_blank">worlds best vodka</a>. Chase single estate English potato vodka is made from organic Lady Claire and Lady Rosetta potatoes, distilled five times, chill filtered and hand bottled. Its smooth, complex, creamy flavours are unlike any vodka you have ever tasted before, and it's gluten free. I get mine <a href="http://www.squarewine.co.uk/" style="transition: transform 1s ease 0s;" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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Buy fresh oranges, roll them on the counter to release the juice, squeeze them, then pass the fresh juice through a sieve to remove the pips, pods and pith.<br />
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Serve in a highball glass with frozen grapes instead of ice, they will chill your drink just as effectively but won't dilute it in the process, so the last sip will be just as perfect as the first.<br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="transition: transform 1s ease 0s;">If you were looking for the worlds best screwdrivers, t</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="transition: transform 1s ease 0s;">ry here:</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Screwdriver-Sets.html" target="_blank"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="transition: transform 1s ease 0s;">Workshop Heaven Screwdrivers</span></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Screwdriver-Sets.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Workshop Heaven Screwdrivers" border="0" height="188" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RRq0aC706aA/VcN_uP-TcpI/AAAAAAAABfE/unkB7KRCUL0/s400/Workshop-Heaven-Screwdrivers.jpg" title="Workshop Heaven Screwdrivers" width="400" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841543812574325787.post-79466127624950306382015-07-30T16:28:00.000+01:002015-07-30T16:28:00.381+01:00Workshop Heaven Blue Moon Sale<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5JkDA4dGD5I/Vaz4O1zSvHI/AAAAAAAABdw/8OF3ERXsG9c/s1600/web-dreamstime_xl_8452237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5JkDA4dGD5I/Vaz4O1zSvHI/AAAAAAAABdw/8OF3ERXsG9c/s320/web-dreamstime_xl_8452237.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-size: 22px;">Once in a Blue Moon Sale<br />
Starts 31st July 2015</span></span></u></b></span></h3>
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<b style="transition: transform 1s ease 0s;">There hasn't been a blue moon (a second full moon in a month) since
August 2012, but if you miss this one don't worry, there's another one
coming up in two and a half years time. </b></div>
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<b>It's nice to have a little fun every once in a blue moon, so we are sharing a blindfold discount code</b><b style="transition: transform 1s ease 0s;"><b> with everyone who reads our <a href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/workshop_heaven_newsletter.html" target="_blank">newsletters</a> and <a href="http://workshopheaven.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">blog</a> posts, or keeps in touch via <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WorkshopHeaven" target="_blank">facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/workshopheaven" target="_blank">twitter</a> or <a href="https://instagram.com/workshopheaven/" target="_blank">instagram</a>.</b><br />
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There are discounts applied to almost every single item on <a href="http://workshopheaven.com/">workshopheaven.com</a>,
but you'll only find out how much your total saving is when you enter the
discount code at the checkout.<br />
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Please note:<br />
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<span style="font-size: 18px;"><u>The code will only work during the full moon, from Friday 31st July at 5pm until Sunday 2nd August at 8pm</u></span>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 18px;"><b style="transition: transform 1s ease 0s;"><u><span style="font-family: lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;">Discount code: BLUEMOON</span></u></b></span></div>
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<b>Fill your boots, </b><br />
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<img align="left" alt="" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/802af86f58533ba53cec3565f/images/msignews.gif" height="94" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; float: left; height: 94px; width: 189px;" width="189" /><br />
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P.S. Full credit to <a href="http://www.dreamstime.com/idrutu_info" target="_blank">Ioana Davies</a> for the stunning photograph. <br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841543812574325787.post-66337816888376318032015-07-21T13:59:00.000+01:002015-07-21T14:00:55.777+01:00Alan Peters Award for Rycotewood Student Avian Evans-White<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-unvFpICOK7Y/Va4_LPQHovI/AAAAAAAABeM/pvOshVXF24U/s1600/IMG_1448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-unvFpICOK7Y/Va4_LPQHovI/AAAAAAAABeM/pvOshVXF24U/s320/IMG_1448.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I was lucky enough to see Avian Evans-White's Award winning ‘Revolve’ bedside tables in maple with a cherry inlay at the <a href="http://www.cityofoxford.ac.uk/our-courses/furniture" target="_blank">Rycotewood National School of Furniture</a> end of year show last month. </div>
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Avian is taking the foundation degree (Arts) in furniture design and making and has just picked up an Alan Peters Award at the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Celebration-of-Craftsmanship-Design-CCD/165343276840303" target="_blank">Celebration of Craftsmanship and Design</a> to go with the <a href="http://www.furnituremakers.org.uk/" target="_blank">Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers</a> award pictured below.<br />
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The design is original, well conceived, and very well thought through. Three legs will always be stable, even if the floor is uneven, and the choice of subtly figured timber invites you to appreciate the quality and skill of the making.<br />
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Well done Avian and well done Rycotewood.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841543812574325787.post-71514821010410305102015-07-15T01:18:00.000+01:002015-07-15T08:01:15.556+01:00Tom Fidgen's Sawyer's Bench Course at Warwickshire College<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xLshpib3wo0/VaV3p1ClJMI/AAAAAAAABb4/8I1MCHvi6FQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-07-13%2Bat%2B20.44.37.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xLshpib3wo0/VaV3p1ClJMI/AAAAAAAABb4/8I1MCHvi6FQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-07-13%2Bat%2B20.44.37.png" width="318" /></a></div>
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This week I'm at Warwickshire College building a sawyers bench with hand tool woodworking expert <a href="http://www.theunpluggedwoodshop.com/about" target="_blank">Tom Fidgen</a> of the <a href="http://www.theunpluggedwoodshop.com/" target="_blank">Unplugged Woodshop</a> and <a href="http://www.anunpluggedlife.com/" target="_blank">An Unplugged Life</a>.</div>
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The training course, organised by <a href="http://www.newenglishworkshop.co.uk/#courses" target="_blank">New English Workshop</a>, is one of several going on this summer with some of the most famous woodworking instructors in the world, including <a href="http://www.woodwrightschool.com/" target="_blank">Roy Underhill</a>, <a href="http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/chris-schwarz-blog" target="_blank">Christopher Schwarz</a>, <a href="https://pfollansbee.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Peter Follansbee</a> and <a href="http://www.yannickchastang.com/" target="_blank">Yannick Chastang</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GIcXRtQldhA/VaWMGoIo6tI/AAAAAAAABcM/vW2zHHjBLgU/s1600/photo%2B1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GIcXRtQldhA/VaWMGoIo6tI/AAAAAAAABcM/vW2zHHjBLgU/s320/photo%2B1.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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We started with boards of rough sawn cherry, fairly unpromising to look at in this condition, but trust me, there's some seriously gorgeous fruitwood hiding under that rough exterior. The first job was setting out a cutting list and Tom took us through the process of adapting the design to suit both the timber and our own personal preferences for the project. One of the things I love most about hand tool woodworking is that it is working <u>with</u> the wood, rather than trying to impose your will upon it, as we tend to when emboldened by the power of electric tools. It was nice to get Tom's take on this and learn some of the clever techniques that he uses to save time and effort.<br />
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The stock was then dressed and roughly dimensioned by hand. For the cleaning up I've been using a <a href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Mujingfang-Curved-Profile-Ebony-Jack---Smoothing-Plane.html" target="_blank">Mujingfang jack plane</a>, the tough HSS blade makes it a great choice for preparatory work like this. I've done at least 20 square feet so far and only needed to hone the blade once.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TrVraFbNYCw/VaWQvJA2krI/AAAAAAAABcU/kzCCtAS0tL0/s1600/photo%2B1-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TrVraFbNYCw/VaWQvJA2krI/AAAAAAAABcU/kzCCtAS0tL0/s320/photo%2B1-1.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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The blade has been honed with a relatively slight camber and then I've whacked on a load of lateral adjustment so that a corner of the blade bites really deep. This slices up the waste nice and quickly and with relatively little effort, kinda like a scrub plane but less aggressive. With a couple of quick taps you can easily switch sides or square the blade up to take a few levelling strokes and see how you're doing. It doesn't take long to figure out that keeping it as ugly as possible for as long as possible is the fastest way to get down to a nice level surface.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dH6F1gTI6G8/VaWSftnnQ5I/AAAAAAAABco/dhdsqQ4SAyE/s1600/photo%2B2-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dH6F1gTI6G8/VaWSftnnQ5I/AAAAAAAABco/dhdsqQ4SAyE/s320/photo%2B2-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Once the Muji had exposed clean wood and sliced off the worst of the bumps, I switched to a <a href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Clifton-No-6-Fore-Plane.html" target="_blank">Clifton No.6</a> to true up the surfaces.We are not aiming for set numerical dimensions here, it is a sawbench after all. If you can get away with producing evenly matched, four squared blanks, it's a lot easier to adapt the joinery than do unnecessary extra planing to thickness. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kmfI4DF7aCI/VaWSaPffxzI/AAAAAAAABcg/nMjwaqNmsks/s1600/photo%2B3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kmfI4DF7aCI/VaWSaPffxzI/AAAAAAAABcg/nMjwaqNmsks/s320/photo%2B3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I tend to face and edge the convex side of a small batch of boards, then go back and true up all the concave faces. It would probably be better practice to finish each component completely before moving on to the next, but I find this breaks up the work a bit and helps me to stay very aware of time and progress through the day. If you are all done facing and edging before you're halfway through your time, there may be a chance to fit something else in before end of play. If you're past halfway, you get as much warning as possible that you need to ease your workrate up a notch. In either case, it is important to at least open up both sides
of the board by the end of the day so that they lose moisture evenly and
remain flat and straight overnight. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iwrLCHysqbY/VaWYezcoO4I/AAAAAAAABdI/aQt2VqJ0_e8/s1600/photo%2B4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iwrLCHysqbY/VaWYezcoO4I/AAAAAAAABdI/aQt2VqJ0_e8/s320/photo%2B4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The little low spot next to my thumb in the photo above is a perfect example of a job for the <a href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Quangsheng-No.-3-Bedrock-Pattern-Smoothing-Plane.html" target="_blank">smoothing plane</a>. The rest of the board is flat and is the same thickness as the matching board. Because this is part of a non-show, non-working surface that won't form part of a joint, I'll be able to sort out out that rough spot with a short soled smoothing plane. The smoother will follow the slight concavity rather than bridging it as the fore plane does, which saves having to plane the rest of both boards down to the same level. I've left it rough for now so that I remember not to square off that part when jointing the edge. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qb6HZuMGE3U/VaWUBWww7-I/AAAAAAAABc0/XRL4vgB5gpE/s1600/photo%2B5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qb6HZuMGE3U/VaWUBWww7-I/AAAAAAAABc0/XRL4vgB5gpE/s320/photo%2B5.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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So there we have it, end of day two with almost all of the stock dressed and settling, hopefully tomorrow we can get into orientating the timber and laying out some joinery. Tom showed us a neat little technique for minimising blowout on the exit side of a saw cut, so I'm looking forward to practicing that again.<br />
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It's such a luxury to spend a whole week at the bench, especially in such esteemed company and in the beautifully equipped and lovingly maintained workshops of <a href="https://instagram.com/jamiewardfurniture/" target="_blank">Warwickshire College</a>. This is a first rate facility, kitted out in the 1960's with a lathe room, a fully equipped industrial machine shop and an eighteen bench hand tool workshop. Right, must get to bed - early start in the morning!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-52xWGk_iexk/VaWoGQ3IC6I/AAAAAAAABdY/74WoDQwJriA/s1600/Warwickshire-College-Furniture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-52xWGk_iexk/VaWoGQ3IC6I/AAAAAAAABdY/74WoDQwJriA/s320/Warwickshire-College-Furniture.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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#unpluggedwoodshop #newenglishworkshop #workshopheaven #tomfidgen #warwickshirecollege<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841543812574325787.post-29759205717616851442015-07-07T00:29:00.000+01:002015-12-16T18:19:26.349+00:00A little Peace (& Spafford) of Sheffield toolmaking history<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EhxGlxTXmP0/VZqzJwddLFI/AAAAAAAABaU/8EU4XM-NzxE/s1600/Peaces_Spafford_1855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EhxGlxTXmP0/VZqzJwddLFI/AAAAAAAABaU/8EU4XM-NzxE/s320/Peaces_Spafford_1855.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I recently acquired this lovely Victorian 14" sash saw, which was made at the Eagle Works, Green Lane, Sheffield by Peaces, Spafford & Co.<br />
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The saw is in remarkably good condition, a little damage to the
top horn, a little pitting on the sawplate, but overall it has survived
150+ years very well. It looks like it has spent most of it's working
life in the service of a left handed craftsman, evidenced by a lovely
depression in the left cheek of the handle where his fingertip has
rested. Unlike many tools, it has not been stamped with any owner's
marks, and close inspection of the parts not polished smooth by a left
handed grip also reveals the faintest traces of rasp marks left by the
man who made it. <br />
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This mark is of particular interest to collectors because it is very accurately dateable to a particularly good period of sawmaking. Peaces, Spafford and Co first appears in the Trade Directory in 1854 and again in 1856. Further research suggests that Abraham Spafford left to form his own company in 1858, so I'm pinning the manufacturing date down to between 1854 and 1858.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hAv03Avm-E4/VZrWUVmjrlI/AAAAAAAABa0/o8ODvSkh6is/s1600/Peaces_Spafford_saw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hAv03Avm-E4/VZrWUVmjrlI/AAAAAAAABa0/o8ODvSkh6is/s320/Peaces_Spafford_saw.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Peace family started out as filemakers in the early 1800's, they started making steel in 1816, and by 1836 had set up Eagle Works - the factory where this saw was made some 20 years later. The new factory had 50 staff on the books, twin cementation furnaces and an impressive 'double 12 hole' crucible steel furnace that could brew up about 360 kilos of crucible cast steel at a time; they weren't playing at it. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-anSj2ck8ByQ/VZq7XV3owYI/AAAAAAAABak/SZgJQJybEmk/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-07-06%2Bat%2B16.36.45.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-anSj2ck8ByQ/VZq7XV3owYI/AAAAAAAABak/SZgJQJybEmk/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-07-06%2Bat%2B16.36.45.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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The site of the Eagle Works is currently being redeveloped for housing and was excavated by archaeologists before building work commenced. In the <a href="https://www.academia.edu/7088451/Archive_Assessment_The_Horseman_Works_Green_Lane_Sheffield" target="_blank">archive assessment</a> by Lauren McIntyre, archaeologist Roderick McKenzie notes that the cementation furnaces were some of the best pre-1850 examples yet excavated and may have been among the first 50 such furnaces to be built in the city of Sheffield.<br />
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In the early 1860's the firm outgrew this factory and moved across the river to the Harvest Lane / Mowbray Street area (where our <a href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/saws.html" target="_blank">Thomas Flinn Pax and Dorchester saws</a> are still made today), by that time they were employing some 150 people. They took the name 'Eagle Works' with them and the green lane factory was taken over by Ibbotson Brothers and renamed Globe Works.<br />
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The 1850's were a fascinating period of history, 1851 saw the great exhibition at Crystal Palace in London, in 1854 Britain declared war on Russia over the strategically important Crimean Peninsula, and in 1857 two men called Nathaniel Creswick and William Prest invented a new game called football and set up the world's first ever football club - Sheffield F.C. - I wonder what they would make of a world cup final today!</div>
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Back at the day job, saw manufacturers were working hard to compete with London's reputation for producing the best saws, there was nothing gentlemanly about their tactics. Factory seconds had poorly finished London pattern handles put on them and the blades were stamped with fictitious 'London' makers marks in order to damage the reputation of London manufacturing. They were fairly subtle about it, the 'London' saws were perfectly usable, just not quite as nice as the ones that had Sheffield stamped on them. This practice still causes confusion among collectors seeking rare but very high quality London made saws. If you want to check before you buy, Simon Barley has kindly published a list of the known fictitious brands on the TATHS website <a href="http://www.taths.org.uk/tools-and-trades/articles/41-when-was-a-sawmaker-not-a-sawmaker" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XDUXwcG5y7Y/VZr6naVnrlI/AAAAAAAABbU/12dGjxRpATU/s1600/Bowdon_London_Saw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XDUXwcG5y7Y/VZr6naVnrlI/AAAAAAAABbU/12dGjxRpATU/s320/Bowdon_London_Saw.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The decade was also marked by the growing power of the trades unions, who sought to control Sheffield manufacturing in the same way as the Company of Cutlers did, but by rather more violent means. There were rattenings (stealing the tools of a man's trade), beatings, shootings, bombings and murders. You might think that all this would have been directed against the factory bosses, but usually it was the workers themselves that the unions sought to control. One example is Thomas Fearnehough, a saw grinder who had quit the union and gone to work for a manufacturer whose workers the union had withdrawn, for which crimes he was murdered. In 1857 his home was blown up with gunpowder (with him in it) on the orders of William Broadhead, secretary of the saw grinders union. Broadhead's trial nine years later made the papers as far away as <a href="http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/1286814" target="_blank">Australia</a> and <a href="http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=SDU18670726.2.18" target="_blank">California</a>.</div>
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Parliament deftly and effectively hobbled union power in the 1870's by forcing the Company of Cutlers to accept workers as well as factory bosses. Company membership soared, and as it did union power declined, owners responded rapidly by adopting mechanisation wherever they could, siezing the opportunity while it was there.<br />
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So this saw would have been among the last to be fully handmade, by well paid and highly qualified craftsmen under the protection of a strong union. It was made by a successful firm to compete with the very best in the world at the height of British imperial and industrial power, a perfect storm of factors that positively influence quality, which is why it is such a desirable saw.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sioc0UAK0W8/VZrcLIyRRlI/AAAAAAAABbE/9xoYjcFCHSY/s1600/Peaces_Spafford_1855_saw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sioc0UAK0W8/VZrcLIyRRlI/AAAAAAAABbE/9xoYjcFCHSY/s320/Peaces_Spafford_1855_saw.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm going to resist the urge to joint and file the teeth of this old girl, there is a good chance that the plate will have become embrittled and the teeth will pop off if I try to set them.</div>
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Instead, to fulfil my need for a main user (and my heroin like addiction to saws) I have ordered an almost identical spec, new, fully handmade, English sash saw from <a href="http://skeltonsaws.co.uk/" target="_blank">Skelton Saws</a>.
The quality of Shane's saws is even better than the Peaces Spafford
would have been when new, and his production methods are almost identical to those that would have been used in the 1850's. All of which leaves me wondering where these two saws will
end up 150 years from now? <br />
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<a href="http://www.skeltonsaws.co.uk/" target="_blank"><img alt="skelton saws" border="0" height="261" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LAU3a50LPMM/VZsAWPKDEnI/AAAAAAAABbk/TCxll9r6Ofo/s320/Skelton_Saws.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sources:<br />
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<a href="https://www.academia.edu/7088451/Archive_Assessment_The_Horseman_Works_Green_Lane_Sheffield">https://www.academia.edu/7088451/Archive_Assessment_The_Horseman_Works_Green_Lane_Sheffield</a></div>
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<a href="http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=SDU18670726.2.18">http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=SDU18670726.2.18</a></div>
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<a href="http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/1286814">http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/1286814</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/3986-spaffords-tool-maker-guernseycolver-road-heeley/">http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/3986-spaffords-tool-maker-guernseycolver-road-heeley/</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.1857-football.com/legacy/video-intro">http://www.1857-football.com/legacy/video-intro</a></div>
<a href="http://www.taths.org.uk/tools-and-trades/articles/41-when-was-a-sawmaker-not-a-sawmaker">http://www.taths.org.uk/tools-and-trades/articles/41-when-was-a-sawmaker-not-a-sawmaker</a><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841543812574325787.post-23647127901142070582015-06-05T23:57:00.002+01:002015-06-06T00:13:35.046+01:00And the winner is...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%; transition: transform 1s ease 0s;">Congratulations to Oscar from Oxford whose </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%; transition: transform 1s ease 0s;">pair of beautifully made bedside tables</span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%; transition: transform 1s ease 0s;"> have been selected as the winning entry in the competition we have been running with <a href="http://www.marcfish.co.uk/" target="_blank">Marc Fish</a>. Typically you would expect a designer to make discrete use of colour or figure , surface texture, and shape, usually choosing one or two and downplaying the others to create visual appeal. Oscar has muted all of them and created his visual impact by using the vacant space between strips on the drawer front to create a sense of movement. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MRX1DCe4ULE/VXBx8WbmgmI/AAAAAAAABZY/qNNq9IXHCp8/s1600/Oscar-Winter-cu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MRX1DCe4ULE/VXBx8WbmgmI/AAAAAAAABZY/qNNq9IXHCp8/s320/Oscar-Winter-cu.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Here's what Oscar had to say about it: </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>"The
tables were inspired by the optical art of Bridget Reilly and Victor Vasarely.
I found the visual awareness of how lines can be used to make us aware of our
eyes stimulating and a visual challenge to transfer in to 3D without making the
pieces overall feature a surface pattern.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>I wanted to make the connection between
the appearance of movement used in optical art and my tables, so using the main
feature of my piece to suggest a handle made sense. The lower part of the
laminate is set forward to create a drawer pull.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Underneath the curved laminate is a
domed piece of copper to highlight the shape." </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Winning this competition is a significant achievement for this talented young maker. Having been selected one of Britan's most highly decorated creative artists from a field that included some serious amatuer and professional competitors, Oscar will now go on to spend a week under Marc's tuition, honing and refining his skills.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The two runner up prizes of a £100 Workshop Heaven gift certificate go to:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Jan, also from Oxford for his velo chair, inspired by modern bicycle design and designed to wrap around the user and make them feel part of the chair.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">and Philipp from Austria for his octagon cabinet. Geometric elements of the octagon are cleverly used throughout the entire piece, including the internal layout and the joinery.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f6EK4-jbipk/T2oA2ZWa1RI/AAAAAAAAAd4/bLN-fsl88Sk/s1600/Workshop-Heaven-blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="50" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f6EK4-jbipk/T2oA2ZWa1RI/AAAAAAAAAd4/bLN-fsl88Sk/s320/Workshop-Heaven-blog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">My sincere thanks to all of the people who entered the competition.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Both Marc and I were stunned at the overall quality of entries, many of which exhibited exceptional craftsmanship. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841543812574325787.post-64303892863272667712015-05-06T10:25:00.001+01:002015-05-06T10:25:16.720+01:00BBC4 Handmade<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w6tvZA7aCPw/VUnRcRBk78I/AAAAAAAABYE/Vg0fCCwpQMY/s1600/Michael-Ruh-Glassblower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w6tvZA7aCPw/VUnRcRBk78I/AAAAAAAABYE/Vg0fCCwpQMY/s1600/Michael-Ruh-Glassblower.jpg" height="232" width="320" /></a></div>
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If you enjoyed the BBC4 show '<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05ttnd7" target="_blank">Handmade</a>' on Monday evening, you might like to see some more of Owen, Jim and Michael's work.<br />
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The BBC production is quite beautiful, they are proper films rather than TV shows, with no narration or music. Just the skills of some remarkable craftsmen, skillfully displayed by some remarkable filmmakers, I for one will certainly be keeping an eye out for more of Richard Bright and Ian Denyer's work. Supplementary material with the craftsmen talking about their work has now been made available online. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fcHla6OO8ME/VUnTl40uIiI/AAAAAAAABYQ/G1FixIDlsJs/s1600/Owen-Bush-Knives.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fcHla6OO8ME/VUnTl40uIiI/AAAAAAAABYQ/G1FixIDlsJs/s1600/Owen-Bush-Knives.jpg" height="225" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As well as making and selling exquisite knives, axes and hammers, Owen Bush also runs <a href="http://owenbush.co.uk/school-of-smithing/" target="_blank">training courses</a> at his South London forge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U_kAwovsQmc/VUnW64zUJgI/AAAAAAAABYc/f0fIssJV8-s/s1600/Michael-Ruh-Chandelier.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U_kAwovsQmc/VUnW64zUJgI/AAAAAAAABYc/f0fIssJV8-s/s1600/Michael-Ruh-Chandelier.jpeg" height="224" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael's work is available directly or through many of the better galleries in London, New York and Paris, including our friends at the <a href="http://www.conranshop.co.uk/" target="_blank">Conran Shop</a>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UkPnx5vQ850/VUnXex58BFI/AAAAAAAABYk/SrkE7Fb7ztA/s1600/Jim-Steele-Chairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UkPnx5vQ850/VUnXex58BFI/AAAAAAAABYk/SrkE7Fb7ztA/s1600/Jim-Steele-Chairs.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Renowned Windsor chairmaker Jim Steele is based just a few miles up the road from <a href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/" target="_blank">Workshop Heaven</a> in the beautiful Warwickshire village of Southam.</td></tr>
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Here are some links to the facebook pages and websites of the craftsmen involved, please take a moment to give them a like, share or a comment:<br />
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<a href="http://www.michaelruh.com/">http://www.michaelruh.com/</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/michael.ruh.148">https://www.facebook.com/michael.ruh.148</a><br />
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<a href="http://owenbush.co.uk/">http://owenbush.co.uk/</a></div>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bushfire-Forge/241329975924718">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bushfire-Forge/241329975924718</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.jimsteelewindsorchairs.co.uk/">http://www.jimsteelewindsorchairs.co.uk/</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841543812574325787.post-82035827639343447142015-04-24T16:40:00.001+01:002015-04-24T18:15:28.222+01:00Robinson House Studio Competition<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1KbC0m9_JFU/So6TVvU1e5I/AAAAAAAAA7w/PJOVwKuMHGk/s1600/WorkshopHeaven-black.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1KbC0m9_JFU/So6TVvU1e5I/AAAAAAAAA7w/PJOVwKuMHGk/s1600/WorkshopHeaven-black.gif" height="63" style="transition: transform 1s ease 0s;" width="320" /></a></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jB4PmdQhTqk/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jB4PmdQhTqk?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <b><u>1st Prize </u></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Take your making to the next level. Win a one week training course with </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Marc Fish at <a href="http://www.marcfish.co.uk/" target="_blank">Robinson House Studio</a>. <span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; transition: transform 1s ease 0s;">Situated in the beautiful seaside town of Newhaven in East Sussex, Robinson House Studio is one of the hottest creative talent 'shops in the world. Under the leadership of Marc Fish, the team push the limits of materials and explore new techniques at the absolute cutting edge of modern furniture design. Having won four guild marks and the Claxton Stevens award, Marc now sits on the Guild Mark Committee of the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers, who decide whether other designer-maker's pieces are up to the coveted guild mark standard.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This course is designed for the improver or beginner who wishes to improve their making skills. You could choose to make a simple piece that will teach you the fundamental skills of hand tool woodworking or perhaps focus on a specific subject like laminating, routing, understanding good design, surface finishing... </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">To enter, all you need to do is send a photograph of </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">something that <u>you have made</u> which you feel demonstrates </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">"an innovative or unusual use of wood"</span></i></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">To: competition@workshopheaven.com</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Please include your name, phone number, email address, and the town or county that you live in with your entry. If you wish to include a couple of lines of descriptive text to explain the entry that's fine too.</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Runners Up Prizes</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The two closest runners up will each receive <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i><b>£100</b></i></span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">to spend at:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://workshopheaven.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Workshop Heaven Fine Tools" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AmYA38dKkfw/VTpTIos-j8I/AAAAAAAABXg/v8W5MZBXeZ0/s1600/Woodworking.jpg" height="108" title="Workshop Heaven Fine Tools" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/"><img alt="www.workshopheaven.com" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j-q3ag54CZM/VTpTeA9GiQI/AAAAAAAABXo/QYRPh23x__8/s1600/WorkshopHeavenLogo-2014-01-24.RGB.jpg" height="59" title="www.workshopheaven.com" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">..what would you choose? </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dates and Details:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">*Entries must be in by noon on the 31st May 2015.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">*Photos should be no larger than 1Mb. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">*They will be judged by Marc and the winners announced on this blog on the 5th of June.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">*Entry is free of charge, no purchase necessary.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">*Entrants will be automatically added to Robinson House Studio and Workshop Heaven monthly newsletter lists - we don't bombard you with daily deals and won't share or sell your details to anyone else.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">*Winners will be announced in the form 'John from Middlesborough' if you prefer to remain anonymous please include this information on your entry.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">*We wish all entrants the very best of luck, and trust that the gentlemanly spirit of the competition be upheld by all participants.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">*Accommodation not included.</span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841543812574325787.post-62369200526293531102015-04-17T10:02:00.000+01:002015-04-17T12:44:06.504+01:00Bespoke Hand Tools: The MiniMac Woodcarving Knife<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nTGNmMIPFII/VS_aaCL_ZNI/AAAAAAAABWI/Uz2HuWTuYMM/s1600/MiniMac-Woodcarving-Knife.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nTGNmMIPFII/VS_aaCL_ZNI/AAAAAAAABWI/Uz2HuWTuYMM/s1600/MiniMac-Woodcarving-Knife.gif" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is the best woodcarving knife I have ever used - by a very long way.<br />
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It is the finished product of a long collaboration between two good friends of mine, both of them wonderfully skilled craftsmen. Creative artist and woodcarver <a href="http://www.spooncarvingfirststeps.com/" target="_blank">Jon Mac</a> from Dartmoor and custom knifemaker <a href="http://www.makemethischris.co.uk/" target="_blank">Chris Grant</a> from Arbroath. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1wCIISWubEo/VTAlhSRkWzI/AAAAAAAABWk/ez3RLD6XQss/s1600/Chris-Grant-Jon-Mac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1wCIISWubEo/VTAlhSRkWzI/AAAAAAAABWk/ez3RLD6XQss/s1600/Chris-Grant-Jon-Mac.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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The knife began as a bespoke commission for Jon's work carving elegant spoons, bowls and kuksa. When you <a href="https://youtu.be/y_xmhWGXuiQ?t=5m50s" target="_blank">watch Jon carve</a> you'll quickly grasp the care and consideration with which he approaches all creative tasks, the design of this tool is no exception. There isn't a straight line on it, and every curve has been considered, refined and perfected by hand and eye. </div>
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Chris thrives on the creative process, he gets deeply involved in the design of each project, feeding in his rich experience of blade steels and heat treatment processes. Working to the
highest standards in metal, wood and leather, he brings everything together to deliver an exquisitely handcrafted product. He only makes knives, but
boy does he make knives! <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q-p7KBm3SJI/VTAioVAqt5I/AAAAAAAABWY/fIu33kLvAg0/s1600/Chris-Grant-Knife.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q-p7KBm3SJI/VTAioVAqt5I/AAAAAAAABWY/fIu33kLvAg0/s1600/Chris-Grant-Knife.gif" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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The development since the original commission has been entirely organic, other carvers have tried the knife and been sufficiently blown away by its performance and dexterity that, with Jon's blessing, they have commissioned their own. Jon is a big guy with large hands, so when the stream of people who wanted one showed no sign of abating, the two got together again to work on a smaller version of his original design that would be better suited to people with average sized hands.<br />
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The result is the MiniMac, same sweet balance in exactly the same spot as the MaChris, same extraordinary edge strength, but when you compare the two side by side you can see that the subtleties of both the blade and handle shape have all been completely reworked. The MiniMac is a stick tang, which makes it considerably lighter, although in use they both just blend into the hand.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CnCfxWDG8ZY/VTBCQWUvR_I/AAAAAAAABXM/SAfN_S3OIVA/s1600/Machris-Minimac-knives.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CnCfxWDG8ZY/VTBCQWUvR_I/AAAAAAAABXM/SAfN_S3OIVA/s1600/Machris-Minimac-knives.gif" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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I've had this MiniMac for a few months now, and apart from a couple of very light dressing strokes on 5 micron lapping film I am still using the original shaving sharp edge. </div>
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The
MiniMac has very quickly become an integral part of how I work; to the
extent that
trying to carve with anything else just feels wrong. I can
work with it for hours with no fatigue and place cuts with a level of
precision I had previously not understood. It is no
understatement to say that I would now be at a loss without it. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CTMU-PElM5k/VTAuxn3Lk-I/AAAAAAAABW8/zwnmrrzPhsQ/s1600/Workshop-Heaven-MiniMac-Knife.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CTMU-PElM5k/VTAuxn3Lk-I/AAAAAAAABW8/zwnmrrzPhsQ/s1600/Workshop-Heaven-MiniMac-Knife.gif" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Could you still carve with a lesser knife? Of course you can, absolutely, but at the end of the day I carve for pleasure. There is nothing quite so luxurious as leaning against a tree on a sunny afternoon with a really good knife and a nice piece of wood and relishing every single cut.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841543812574325787.post-8215663804888994822015-03-28T01:10:00.000+00:002015-03-28T03:36:34.937+00:00Tom Fidgen @ Warwickshire College<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AZnk14HmSyY/VRYgVfkgixI/AAAAAAAABVY/6louM_sZ3DU/s1600/Tom-Fidgen-Unplugged.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AZnk14HmSyY/VRYgVfkgixI/AAAAAAAABVY/6louM_sZ3DU/s1600/Tom-Fidgen-Unplugged.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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The courses run by New English Workshop last summer were a roaring success, both were well oversubscribed and the lucky ones that did get a place had a fantastic time. With the <a href="http://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/david-stanley-auctions/catalogue-id-srdav10013/lot-0297302f-35e8-411f-8d3a-a45800ed7be7" target="_blank">Anarchists Tool Chest built by Chris Schwarz</a> going under David Stanley's auctioneers hammer today (March 28th) it occurred to me that I'd better get my finger out if I want to snaffle a place on one of this years summer schools.</div>
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Last year I mentioned to Paul and Derek how amazing it would be if Tom Fidgen could come over from Canada to teach in the UK. Tom is probably the coolest woodworker on the planet, his work is fast, accurate and meticulously well planned, but I'd swear his heart rate never climbs above 60 beats per minute. If you're not already subscribed, take a moment to check out his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/tomfidgen" target="_blank">youtube channel</a> and website <a href="http://theunpluggedwoodshop.com/">theunpluggedwoodshop.com</a>.</div>
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Anyway, to my surprise they did ask him, to my even greater surprise he agreed, and then to top it all the course location was changed to Warwickshire College, which is just up the road from <a href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/" target="_blank">Workshop Heaven</a>, talk about the stars coming into alignment!</div>
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The project is a sawyers bench - kinda like a 17th century Black and Decker Workmate. Tom has made a few significant tweaks to the traditional design which will make this a fantastic addition to the workshop that will earn its space many times over.</div>
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For me the course isn't really about the project though, it's all about sharing and enjoying the creative process with likeminded souls and picking up a few wrinkles of experience from one another. </div>
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From that perspective, a huge extra bonus is that another woodworking legend <a href="https://pfollansbee.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Peter Folansbee</a> will also be teaching at Warwickshire College the same week, so with any luck I might get to enjoy a brew and a natter with him and the people attending that course as well.</div>
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The
New English Workshop Summer School offering has grown from two woodworking courses last year to ten
available this summer, spread across Kent, Sussex, Warwickshire and
Somerset. All of the courses are led by world class woodworking instructors and hosted at well equipped workshops.<br />
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If you'd like to book a place, I'd recommend getting your deposit in fairly sharpish. Spaces are limited and opportunities to share time at the bench with woodworkers of this calibre are few and far between.<br />
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Here's Tom with some more details about the course, for more info about the other woodworking courses available, visit <a href="http://www.newenglishworkshop.co.uk/">newenglishworkshop.co.uk.</a><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3841543812574325787.post-23943155372572270492015-03-12T16:09:00.000+00:002015-03-12T16:09:31.977+00:00Waters & Acland Furniture School<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Si5jP-CkAes/VPl_huexs1I/AAAAAAAABUI/d1745VSqeEA/s1600/Rippled-Sycamore-Dressing-Table2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Si5jP-CkAes/VPl_huexs1I/AAAAAAAABUI/d1745VSqeEA/s1600/Rippled-Sycamore-Dressing-Table2.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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Cumbrian furniture makers <a href="http://www.watersandacland.co.uk/" target="_blank">WATERS and ACLAND</a> are well known for creating exceptionally elegant modern handcrafted furniture. Their furniture has drawn the attention of the Royal family, the bespoke guild mark committee of the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers and graces well appointed homes up and down the country. <br />
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When I visited their light and airy workshops in the village of Staveley last October, I was surprised to find something even more impressive than the covetable furniture in their showroom.<br />
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Waters and Acland don't just make commercial handmade furniture and commissions, they also deliver some of <a href="http://www.watersandacland.co.uk/furniture-school/" target="_blank">the best furniture making training courses</a> available. The thing that really struck me was the astonishing rate at which students in the adjoining training workshop acquire the skills of fine furniture making and the standards that they achieve right from the word go.</div>
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After a week, students are able to complete an immaculate pair of matching dovetailed and mitred oak bookends. By the end of week two, they will have finished a stool with double wedged through tenons.<br />
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With those two test pieces perfected, it's straight into their first box - a dovetailed and mitred wall cabinet with morticed panel doors, made in the student's choice of materials. <br />
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Chris (left cabinet), who also made the two pieces above, had done a bit of making before but was looking to up his game. Keira (right cabinet) achieved this standard in 9 weeks flat from a cold start. I have seen both cabinets up close and the details reward even the closest inspection.<br />
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You
could be forgiven for thinking that making this much headway in a few
short weeks must involve compromise, but you only need to look at the standard of <a href="http://www.watersandacland.co.uk/furniture/portfolio/all-furniture/" target="_blank">Waters and Acland furniture</a> to see that they are not really the
compromising type. In fact the opposite is true. This astonishing
progress is the result of being <b>uncompromising</b>, very high staff
ratios, beautifully maintained <a href="http://www.workshopheaven.com/" target="_blank">high quality tools</a>, and lots of one on one tuition with professional
makers. </div>
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The Waters and Acland team believe fervently in getting it right first time and checking
their work at every stage. The same standards are applied to the job of training as they are to the job of making furniture, with layers of perfection locked in at every stage.</div>
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Both Chris and Keira have since gone on to make progressively <a href="http://www.watersandacland.co.uk/crisp-student-work/" target="_blank">more complex pieces</a> and worked with progressively greater autonomy as they completed their 24 week course of training. I would like to wish both of these calm, confident and competent new makers every success in their future careers. For the last word, I'll leave you in Keira's capable hands:</div>
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If you would like to receive further information about training as a furniture maker with Waters and Acland please visit:</div>
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<a href="http://www.watersandacland.co.uk/furniture-school/">http://www.watersandacland.co.uk/furniture-school/</a></div>
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You can also get some free tuition by subscribing to the </div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/watersandacland" target="_blank">Waters and Acland You Tube channel</a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0